parallel

• POS: Adjective, Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: par=al=lel
• COUNT in NET: 2 in 2 verses (in OT : 2 in 2 verses)

CIDE DICTIONARY

parallel, a. [F. parallèle, L. parallelus, fr. Gr. ; para` beside + of one another, fr. other, akin to L. alius. See Alien.].

•  Extended in the same direction, and in all parts equally distant; as, parallel lines; parallel planes.  [1913 Webster]

  " Curved lines or curved planes are said to be parallel when they are in all parts equally distant."  [1913 Webster]

  "Revolutions . . . parallel to the equinoctial."  [1913 Webster]
•  Having the same direction or tendency; running side by side; being in accordance (with); tending to the same result; -- used with to and with.  [1913 Webster]

  "When honor runs parallel with the laws of God and our country, it can not be too much cherished."  [1913 Webster]
•  Continuing a resemblance through many particulars; applicable in all essential parts; like; similar; as, a parallel case; a parallel passage.  Addison.  [1913 Webster]

Parallel bar. (a) (Steam Eng.) A rod in a parallel motion which is parallel with the working beam. (b) One of a pair of bars raised about five feet above the floor or ground, and parallel to each other, -- used for gymnastic exercises. -- Parallel circles of a sphere, those circles of the sphere whose planes are parallel to each other. -- Parallel columns, or Parallels (Printing), two or more passages of reading matter printed side by side, for the purpose of emphasizing the similarity or discrepancy between them. -- Parallel forces (Mech.), forces which act in directions parallel to each other. -- Parallel motion. (a) (Mach.) A jointed system of links, rods, or bars, by which the motion of a reciprocating piece, as a piston rod, may be guided, either approximately or exactly in a straight line. Rankine. (b) (Mus.) The ascending or descending of two or more parts at fixed intervals, as thirds or sixths. -- Parallel rod (Locomotive Eng.), a metal rod that connects the crank pins of two or more driving wheels; -- called also couping rod, in distinction from the connecting rod. See Illust. of Locomotive, in App. -- Parallel ruler, an instrument for drawing parallel lines, so constructed as to have the successive positions of the ruling edge parallel to each other; also, one consisting of two movable parts, the opposite edges of which are always parallel. -- Parallel sailing (Naut.), sailing on a parallel of latitude. -- Parallel sphere (Astron. & Geog.), that position of the sphere in which the circles of daily motion are parallel to the horizon, as to an observer at either pole. -- Parallel vise, a vise having jaws so guided as to remain parallel in all positions.

parallel, n. 

•  A line which, throughout its whole extent, is equidistant from another line; a parallel line, a parallel plane, etc.  [1913 Webster]

  "Who made the spider parallels design,
  Sure as De Moivre, without rule or line ?"  [1913 Webster]
•  Direction conformable to that of another line,  [1913 Webster]

  "Lines that from their parallel decline."  [1913 Webster]
•  Conformity continued through many particulars or in all essential points; resemblance; similarity.  [1913 Webster]

  "Twixt earthly females and the moon
  All parallels exactly run."  [1913 Webster]
•  A comparison made; elaborate tracing of similarity; as, Johnson's parallel between Dryden and Pope.  [1913 Webster]
•  Anything equal to, or resembling, another in all essential particulars; a counterpart.  [1913 Webster]

  "None but thyself can be thy parallel."  [1913 Webster]
•  One of the imaginary circles on the surface of the earth, parallel to the equator, marking the latitude; also, the corresponding line on a globe or map; as, the counry was divided into North and South at the 38th parallel.  [1913 Webster]
•  One of a series of long trenches constructed before a besieged fortress, by the besieging force, as a cover for troops supporting the attacking batteries. They are roughly parallel to the line of outer defenses of the fortress.  [1913 Webster]
•  A character consisting of two parallel vertical lines (thus, ∥) used in the text to direct attention to a similarly marked note in the margin or at the foot of a page.  [1913 Webster]
•  That arrangement of an electrical system in which all positive poles, electrodes, terminals, etc., are joined to one conductor, and all negative poles, etc., to another conductor; -- called also multiple. Opposed to series.

  " Parts of a system so arranged are said to be in parallel or in multiple."  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

Limiting parallels. See under Limit, v. t. -- Parallel of altitude (Astron.), one of the small circles of the sphere, parallel to the horizon; an almucantar. -- Parallel of declination (Astron.), one of the small circles of the sphere, parallel to the equator. -- Parallel of latitude. (a) (Geog.) See def. 6. above. (b) (Astron.) One of the small circles of the sphere, parallel to the ecliptic.

parallel, v. t. 

•  To place or set so as to be parallel; to place so as to be parallel to, or to conform in direction with, something else.  [1913 Webster]

  "The needle . . . doth parallel and place itself upon the true meridian."  [1913 Webster]
•  Fig.: To make to conform to something else in character, motive, aim, or the like.  [1913 Webster]

  "His life is paralleled
  Even with the stroke and line of his great justice."  [1913 Webster]
•  To equal; to match; to correspond to.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]
•  To produce or adduce as a parallel.  Locke.  [1913 Webster]

  "My young remembrance can not parallel
  A fellow to it."  [1913 Webster]

parallel, v. i. 

 To be parallel; to correspond; to be like.  Bacon.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

parallel, adj., n., & v.
--adj.
1 a (of lines or planes) side by side and having the same distance continuously between them. b (foll. by to, with) (of a line or plane) having this relation (to another).
2 (of circumstances etc.) precisely similar, analogous, or corresponding.
3 a (of processes etc.) occurring or performed simultaneously. b Computing involving the simultaneous performance of operations.
--n.
1 a person or thing precisely analogous or equal to another.
2 a comparison (drew a parallel between the two situations).
3 (in full parallel of latitude) Geog. a each of the imaginary parallel circles of constant latitude on the earth's surface. b a corresponding line on a map (the 49th parallel).
4 Printing two parallel lines (ll) as a reference mark.
--v.tr. (paralleled, paralleling)
1 be parallel to; correspond to.
2 represent as similar; compare.
3 adduce as a parallel instance.

Idiom

in parallel (of electric circuits) arranged so as to join at common points at each end. parallel bars a pair of parallel rails on posts for gymnastics.

Derivative

parallelism n.

Etymology

F parall{egrave}le f. L parallelus f. Gk parallelos (as PARA-(1), allelos one another)

THESAURUS

parallel

Antarctic Zone, Arctic Circle, Arctic Zone, Frigid Zones, Lambert conformal projection, Mercator projection, Miller projection, Torrid Zone, Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, Variable Zones, abri, accessory, accompanying, accord, admit of comparison, aeronautical chart, affiliate, affiliated, agnate, agree, agree with, akin, align, aligned, alike, allied, ally, alter ego, amount to, analogical, analogize, analogon, analogous, analogue, analogy, answer to, ape, appear like, apply, approach, approach trench, approximate, assent, assimilate, associate, associated, assort with, astronomical chart, atlas, attendant, attending, azimuthal equidistant projection, azimuthal projection, balance, be commensurable, be comparable, be consistent, be like, be of one, be parallel, be redolent of, be uniform with, bear resemblance, bind, bound, bracket, bracketed, break even, bring into analogy, bring into comparison, bring to mind, brother, bunker, call to mind, call up, cartographer, cartography, celestial chart, celestial globe, chart, check, chime, chorographer, chorography, climate, climatic chart, clime, close copy, close match, coequal, coequality, coextend, coextending, coextensive, cognate, cohere, coincide, coincident, collatable, collateral, collimate, collocate, combined, come close, come near, come to, come up to, commensurable, commensurate, communication trench, companion, comparable, comparative, compare, compare and contrast, compare to, compare with, compeer, complement, concomitant, concur, concurrent, conform, conform to, conform with, confront, congenator, congener, congruent, conic projection, conjoint, conjugate, connect, connected, consist with, consonant, contemporaneous, contemporary, contour line, contour map, contrast, cooperate, coordinate, copy, correlate, correlated, correlation, correlative, correspond, correspond to, correspond with, correspondence, correspondent, corresponding, counterbalance, counterfeit, countermine, counterpart, counterpose, couple, coupled, coupure, cylindrical projection, ditch, ditto, double, double sap, dovetail, draw, draw a comparison, draw a parallel, dugout, duplicate, duplication, echo, entrenchment, equal, equality, equate, equator, equidistant, equipoise, equipollent, equiponderance, equispaced, equivalence, equivalent, even, even off, even up, evoke, fall in together, favor, fellow, fire trench, fit together, flying sap, follow, fortified tunnel, fosse, foxhole, gallery, general reference map, globe, gnomonic projection, go alongside, go beside, go together, go with, graphic scale, grid line, hachure, hang together, harmonize, heliographic chart, hit, hold together, homologous, homologue, horse latitudes, hydrographic chart, identify, image, imitate, implicated, in proportion, index, interlinked, interlock, interlocked, interrelate, interrelated, intersect, involved, isoline, iterate, jibe, joined, joint, keep pace with, kindred spirit, kinship, knot, knotted, latitude, layer tint, legend, like, liken, liken to, likeness, line up, lined up, link, linked, lock, longitude, longitude in arc, look like, map, map maker, map projection, mapper, match, match up with, matchable, matching, mate, measure against, measure up to, meridian, metaphorize, mimic, mine, mirror, moat, much at one, mutatis mutandis, mutual, near, near duplicate, nearly reproduce, nonconvergent, nondivergent, not compare with, not tell apart, obverse, of a kind, of a piece, of a size, of that ilk, of that kind, offset, oppose, opposite number, overlap, paired, paragon, parallel bar, parallel file, parallel line, parallelepiped, parallelepipedal, paralleler, parallelinervate, paralleling, parallelism, parallelize, parallelodrome, parallelogram, parallelogrammatic, parallelogrammic, parallelotropic, pari passu, parity, partake of, peer, pendant, photogrammetrist, photogrammetry, photomap, phototopography, physical map, picture, place against, political map, polyconic projection, prime meridian, projection, proportion, proportional, proportionate, reach, reciprocal, register, register with, reiterate, relate, related, relationship, relative, relativize, relief map, remind one of, repeat, representative fraction, resemblance, resemble, respond to, rival, road map, roaring forties, run a comparison, run abreast, run parallel, run to, sap, savor of, scale, second self, seem like, set in contrast, set in opposition, set off, set off against, set over against, similar, similarity, similitude, similize, simulacrum, simulate, simultaneous, sing in chorus, sinusoidal projection, sister, slit trench, smack of, sort with, soul mate, sound like, special map, spliced, square, square with, stack up with, stand together, subtropics, such, suchlike, suggest, symmetry, take after, tally, terrain map, terrestrial globe, the like of, the likes of, the line, thematic map, tie, tied, topographer, topographic chart, topography, touch, transportation map, trench, tropic, tropics, tunnel, twin, twinned, uniform, vie, vie with, view together, weather chart, weather map, wed, wedded, weigh, weigh against, yoked, zone

ROGET THESAURUS

parallel

Similarity

N similarity, resemblance, likeness, similitude, semblance, affinity, approximation, parallelism, agreement, analogy, analogicalness, correspondence, homoiousia, parity, connaturalness, connaturality, brotherhood, family likeness, alliteration, rhyme, pun, repetition, sameness, uniformity, isogamy, analogue, the like, match, pendant, fellow companion, pair, mate, twin, double, counterpart, brother, sister, one's second self, alter ego, chip of the old block, par nobile fratrum, Arcades ambo, birds of a feather, et hoc genus omne, gens de meme famille, parallel, simile, type, image, photograph, close resemblance, striking resemblance, speaking resemblance, faithful likeness, faithful resemblance, similar, resembling, like, alike, twin, analogous, analogical, parallel, of a piece, such as, so, homoiousian, connatural, congener, allied to, akin to, approximate, much the same, near, close, something like, sort of, in the ballpark, such like, a show of, mock, pseudo, simulating, representing, exact, lifelike, faithful, true to nature, true to life, the very image, the very picture of, for all the world like, comme deux gouttes d'eau, as like as two peas in a pod, as like as it can stare, instar omnium, cast in the same mold, ridiculously like, as if, so to speak, as it were, as if it were, quasi, just as, veluti in speculum, et sic de similibus, tel maitre tel valet, tel pere tel fils, like master, like servant, like father, like son, the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree, a chip off the old block, similarity, resemblance, likeness, similitude, semblance, affinity, approximation, parallelism, agreement, analogy, analogicalness, correspondence, homoiousia, parity, connaturalness, connaturality, brotherhood, family likeness, alliteration, rhyme, pun, repetition, sameness, uniformity, isogamy, analogue, the like, match, pendant, fellow companion, pair, mate, twin, double, counterpart, brother, sister, one's second self, alter ego, chip of the old block, par nobile fratrum, Arcades ambo, birds of a feather, et hoc genus omne, gens de meme famille, parallel, simile, type, image, photograph, close resemblance, striking resemblance, speaking resemblance, faithful likeness, faithful resemblance, similar, resembling, like, alike, twin, analogous, analogical, parallel, of a piece, such as, so, homoiousian, connatural, congener, allied to, akin to, approximate, much the same, near, close, something like, sort of, in the ballpark, such like, a show of, mock, pseudo, simulating, representing, exact, lifelike, faithful, true to nature, true to life, the very image, the very picture of, for all the world like, comme deux gouttes d'eau, as like as two peas in a pod, as like as it can stare, instar omnium, cast in the same mold, ridiculously like, as if, so to speak, as it were, as if it were, quasi, just as, veluti in speculum, et sic de similibus, tel maitre tel valet, tel pere tel fils, like master, like servant, like father, like son, the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree, a chip off the old block.

VB be similar, look like, resemble, bear resemblance, smack of, savor of, approximate, parallel, match, rhyme with, take after, imitate, favor, span, render similar, assimilate, approximate, bring near, connaturalize, make alike, rhyme, pun.

Imitation

VB imitate, copy, mirror, reflect, reproduce, repeat, do like, echo, reecho, catch, transcribe, match, parallel, mock, take off, mimic, ape, simulate, impersonate, personate, act, represent, counterfeit, parody, travesty, caricature, lampoon, burlesque, follow in the steps of, tread in the steps, follow in the footsteps of, follow in the wake of, take pattern by, follow suit, follow the example of, walk in the shoes of, take a leaf out of another's book, strike in with, follow suit, take after, model after, emulate.

Parallelism

N parallelism, coextension, equidistance, similarity, parallel, coextensive, equidistant, alongside.

Symmetry

N symmetry, shapeliness, finish, beauty, proportion, eurythmy, uniformity, parallelism, bilateral symmetry, trilateral symmetry, multilateral symmetry, centrality, arborescence, branching, ramification, arbor vitae, symmetrical, shapely, well set, finished, beautiful, classic, chaste, severe, regular, uniform, balanced, equal, parallel, coextensive, arborescent, arboriform, dendriform, dendroid, branching, ramous, ramose, filiciform, filicoid, subarborescent, papilionaceous, fuji-shaped, fujigata.

Comparison

VB compare to, compare with, collate, confront, place side by side, juxtapose, set against one another, pit against one another, contrast, balance, identify, draw a parallel, parallel, compare notes, institute a comparison, parva componere magnis.